Head-To-Head: Apple iPad Vs. Apple iPad Mini

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Prepare yourself for a surprise: the iPad mini is smaller than the iPad 4. But how much smaller is a fair question. We've long believed that 10-inch tablets aren't terribly ergonomic. They can't easily be used with one hand, and holding them with one hand quickly gets tiresome. 7-inch tablets, on the other hand, are a dream to hold with one hand and easy to use for reading, browsing and other forms of consumption. They're also easier to carry, and for situations that don't involve watching videos or being productive, 7-inchers often make more sense. That's why these measurements are demonstrably important.

The full-size iPad stretches the tape at 9.5 by 7.3 inches, and it's 0.37 inches thick. The iPad mini measures 7.9 by 5.3 inches and is just 0.28 inches thick. The bottom line is that the mini can be gripped from edge to edge with one hand, and the iPad can't (unless you're a professional basketball player). In terms of weight, the difference is even starker. For Wi-Fi-only variants, the iPad weighs 1.44 pounds, more than double the mini's svelte 0.68 pounds. This is one light and skinny tablet.